Abstract

An experimental investigation was made to establish the feasibility of using a flexible fiber optics bundle in a dynamic application. It is shown that, by controlling its configuration during motion, it is possible to oscillate one end of the bundle at high speeds over a large excursion. With reinforced bundle sheathing, speeds as high as 7 c/s have been achieved without any defects after 2 × 106 c/s. Possible applications of this type of moving fiber bundle are in printing, scanning, display, and photocomposing. In addition to other system advantages gained from its use in these areas, a flexible fiber bundle is not limited by field coverage as are conventional optical systems.

The number of new defects in two bundles is shown as a function of the number of cycles. Bundle data: 0.635 cm diam, 50.8 cm long, 76 μ fibers, incoherent. Cycling speed: 4 c/s. Minimum radius: 6.35 cm.